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Monday, January 12, 2015

"From photographer to Buddhist monk (см. отрывок программы).
As part of a programme exploring the spiritual side of Thailand, the Travel Show’s Rajan Datar meets some of the men who have chosen to be Buddhist monks. At the Wat Boonyawad monastery he meets Michael, who used to be a successful fashion photographer. He explained why he now prefers a more spiritual life".

source
In 2007 I stayed for some three weeks -short before the end of Vassa at Wat Boonyawad.
It is a monks' monastery (around 30 monks live here) with no Mae Chees [Mae chee are Buddhist laywomen in Thailand occupying a position somewhere between that of an ordinary lay follower and an ordained monk. It is still illegal for women to take ordination in Thailand, based on a 1928 law created by Prince Chinnawon Siriwat, then the Supreme Patriarch.].
Women are allowed for only about two weeks, this regulation applies even for Mae Chees. After a week of absence women may return for two weeks again.

With a private driver the journey from Bangkok takes like 2-3 hours.

Than Ajahn Dtun gives at Uposatha days teachings in Thai at about 8 PM. Apart from this are no teachings or meditation instructions at all for women. But the women can ask Than Ajahn Dtun around 10-11 o'clock, when the visits of the laypeople are finished.
He also comes frequently to the kitchen and Khun Suwaree or someone else translates. This is a nice opportunity. As for men it is different, as they live in the man's place slightly apart from the monks.

Daily routine for laymen:
3:00 a (tape recorded) chanting wakes you up, but it is ok to sleep till 4:30
4:30 Wake up and meditation.
6:30 Work in the kitchen, helping preparing the food for the monks;
at about 7 am laypeople from Chonburi and the towns around arrive bringing food.
8:00 Short chanting before eating for the monks and the laypeople
from 9:00 after breakfast finishes the laypeople give Dana [Generosity or giving; in Buddhism, it also refers to the practice of cultivating generosity] and pay respects to Than Ajahn.
10:00 work in kitchen finished
10-11 possibility for women to talk to Than Ajahn
around 10:30 back to kuti, washing clothes, meditation
16:00 Sweeping paths, & cleaning around kuti
17:30 - 18:30 time for drinking tea or coffee at the kitchen
18:30 back to Kuti [cabin]

Timing and rules are called Kor Wat; each monastery has Kor Wat of its own.
Some more details:

At around 06:45 the Monks come back from Pindabat (Alms round) and take place in the wooden Sala. The Laypeople serve food to the monks – it is handed over from the most senior monk to the lesser senior monks on a tray with little wheels. As Ajahn explained he learned from Ajahn Mun that according to the tradition the food was on plates and was passed from hand to hand from one monk to the other. In Ajahn Dtuns opinion it is like as handled today in many Monasteries like Buffet.

During the week come some 15 Laypeople, at Sunday come around 50 to 70 or even more persons, also from Bangkok.

Laymen are not in contact with the monks.
There are about 30 monks living in the monastery, some are foreigners – from Germany, Sri Lanka, Australia and one Phra Khaow from New Zealand.

The novice monks don't wear white robes like in other Wats, they immediately put on coloured robes.
The monk's Kuti [huts] are made from wood, not like the Laywomen's Kutis. The laywomen's cabins are really nice and clean. Around the kuti's pillars is a special construction filled with insect repelling oil.

No electricity and only running cold water from a tap. Not allowed: Internet, mobile-phones, TV, walkman, MP3 etc.

The robes are dyed by monks themselves, with Jackfruit tree’s juice.
This work is done at the day (or the day after, I am not sure) of the Patimokkha Chanting.
[In Theravada Buddhism, the Patimokkha is the basic code of monastic discipline, consisting of 227 rules for fully ordained monks (bhikkhus) and 311 for nuns (bhikkhunis)].
Thus, sometimes laymen get white coloured robes, for the dye process to be done later, traditional way. The robes have a really very nice and natural colour.

A German monk explained why there is no morning- and evening chanting: in Ajahn’s opinion this is not necessary; meditation practice is priority at Wat Boonyawat. There is a short chanting or blessing before meal.

...but once at night I heard a chanting coming from the monks, this was very beautiful...
I enjoyed my time at Wat Boonyawad very much and look forward going there again...

My aunt suggested that if I ordained it would be best to ordain with Ajahn Chah.
When I made the decision to ordain (I was 22 or 23 y.o.) my mind was so determined. My decision never wavered. It did not have any clinging or lamenting in the world.

I went to stay with Ajahn Chah. I did not know him and had never even seen him before, but I trusted in his compassion and wisdom. I trusted that he had practiced well and was a good teacher. Being in Wat Pah Pong (WPP), Ajahn Chah taught by being an example.
When I decided to ordain I thought I would like to ordain for life and be in the forest or in caves like the Buddha. I chose to ordain with Ajahn Chah in 1978.

…history of Boonyawat:
“On the 20th of May 1990, I came to this place to meditate quietly. After staying here alone for 2 ½ years, the family of Khun Suwaree offered 100 acres of land to the Sangha. I thought if I accepted the land there would be at least 3 benefits:
1) The 100 acres of forest would be protected
2) Wild animals in this forest such as birds, squirrels, civet cats, mongoose, wild rabbits and forest chickens would also be protected.
3) The Buddha’s teaching would be maintained here.

Around 2004 it became an official monastery.
In 2005 Khun Suwaree’s father offered another 20 acres to build the Uposatha hall. The monastery land was then 260 acres with a wall around.
In 2008 I was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. During my one year of treatment, I was admitted into hospitals 22 times, with 4 major surgeries and 12 chemo courses. Five feet of my intestine has been removed. Now I am in remission.
When I was sick one lay supporter in Bangkok wanted to build a Chedi in the monastery to extend my life. But there was no place to build it so Khun Suwaree offered another 50 acres and her brother another 20 acres. At present, the monastery covers 200 acres of forest.

**"Я знаю больше того, что могу выразить словами, и то немногое, что я могу выразить, не было бы выражено, не знай я большего".Владимир Набоков, интервью //"I know more than I can express in words, and the little I can express would not have been expressed, had I not known more". Vladimir Nabokov, interview

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